Address fuel price hikes – School owners ask govt

Private school owners under the Proprietors of Private Educational Institutions Association in Uganda (PPEIAU) have asked the government to address the rising fuel prices as schools re-open to enable smooth running of their operations including feeding of learners.

This comes as learners in all government-aided schools are supposed to report back today from holiday for the last term of the 2023 academic year.

Christopher Kaweesa, the association spokesperson says private school owners are concerned that the rising cost of fuel has affected almost all food and commodity prices yet there has been no school fees increment, which may affect their sustainability.

“Our challenges are no longer mental health. As of now, it is basically about the economy. I think there is a wrong perception by some people even within the government that private schools are ever-increasing school fees like any other commodity, it’s not true. The things were are using within the ecosystem of education are ever increasing  their prices,” Kaweeesa told KFM.

Pump prices have over the past one month risen by nearly Shs1000, a trend the Ministry of Energy has attributed to the reduced supply on the global market.

In neighboring Kenya, the petroleum regulator last week announced the highest fuel prices in recent memory, a move that is likely to affect the cost of transporting Uganda’s imports through Mombasa port.

Overnight the cost of petrol rose by about 9% to 20%.

The move came despite countrywide protests in recent months against high living costs and the government’s economic policies.

Written by Mike Sebalu